Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty [Kietas viršelis]

Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty presents new and surprising findings about career differences between female and male full-time, tenure-track, and tenured faculty in science, engineering, and mathematics at the nation's top research universities. Much of this congressionally mandated book is based on two unique surveys of faculty and departments at major U.S. research universities in six fields: biology, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, and physics. A departmental survey collected information on departmental policies, recent tenure and promotion cases, and recent hires in almost 500 departments. A faculty survey gathered information from a stratified, random sample of about 1,800 faculty on demographic characteristics, employment experiences, the allocation of institutional resources such as laboratory space, professional activities, and scholarly productivity.



This book paints a timely picture of the status of female faculty at top universities, clarifies whether male and female faculty have similar opportunities to advance and succeed in academia, challenges some commonly held views, and poses several questions still in need of answers. This book will be of special interest to university administrators and faculty, graduate students, policy makers, professional and academic societies, federal funding agencies, and others concerned with the vitality of the U.S. research base and economy.

Table of Contents



Front Matter Summary 1 Introduction 2 Status of Women in Academic Science and Engineering in 2004 and 2005 3 Gender Differences in Academic Hiring 4 Professional Activities, Institutional Resources, Climate, and Outcomes 5 Gender Differences in Tenure and Promotion 6 Key Findings and Recommendations Appendixes Appendix 1-1: Biographical Information on Committee Members Appendix 1-2: List of Research I Institutions Appendix 1-3: Committee Meeting Agenda Appendix 1-4: The Surveys Appendix 1-5: Survey Instruments Appendix 1-6: Departments in Survey Appendix 2-1: Review of Literature and Relevant Research Appendix 2-2: Previous Research on Factors Contributing to Gender Differences Among Faculty Appendix 3-1: Review of Literature and Research on Factors Associated with a Higher Proportion of Female Applicants Appendix 3-2: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences for the Probability That There Are No Female Applicants Appendix 3-3: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences Based on the Modeled Probability of the Percentage of Applicants That Are Female Appendix 3-4: Estimated Adjusted Mean Effects and Differences Based on the Modeled Probability of at Least One Female Candidate Interviewed Appendix 3-5: Doctoral Degrees Awarded by All Doctoral-Granting Institutions, by Field, Gender, and Year Appendix 3-6: Doctoral Degrees Awarded by Discipline and Gender for Research I Institutions, 1999-2003 Appendix 3-7: Marginal Mean and Variance of Transformed Response Variables Appendix 3-8: Main Considerations for Taking a Position by Number of Respondents Saying "Yes" Appendix 4-1: Distribution of Undergraduate Course Load for Faculty by Gender and Discipline Appendix 4-2: Percentage of Faculty Members Who Do No Graduate Teaching Appendix 4-3: Percentage of Faculty Members Receiving a Reduced Teaching Load When Hired Appendix 4-4: Percentage of Faculty Members Who Served on an Undergraduate Thesis or Honors Committee Appendix 4-5: Percentage of Faculty Members Who Served on and Chaired an Undergraduate Thesis or Honors Committee Appendix 4-6: Distribution of Number of Graduate Thesis or Honors Committees for Research I Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty: Men/Women Appendix 4-7: Percentage of Time Spent in Administration or Committee Work on Campus and Service to the Profession Outside the University for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty at Research I Institutions: Men/Women Appendix 4-8: Distribution of Number of Service Committees for Research I Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty: Men/Women Appendix 4-9: Mean Salary by Gender and Professorial Rank for Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Appendix 4-10: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Summer Support Appendix 4-11: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Travel Funds Appendix 4-12: Median Square Footage of Lab Space of Faculty Who Report Doing Experimental Work Appendix 4-13: Faculty Who Have Received More Lab Space Since Hire (Values Are Percentages) Appendix 4-14: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Sufficient Equipment Appendix 4-15: Number of Postdoctorate Students for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions (presented by Men and Women) Appendix 4-16: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Receiving Sufficient Clerical Support Appendix 4-17: Percentage of Faculty Members Stating That They Had a Mentor Appendix 4-18: Distribution of the Number of Graduate Students for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions (presented by Men and Women) Appendix 4-19: Mean Number of Articles Published in Refereed Journals (sole and co-authored) Over the Past 3 Years for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty in Research I Institutions Appendix 4-20a: Estimated Probability of Having Grant Funding by Discipline, Gender, and Whether the Faculty Member Has an Assigned Mentor - Assistant Professors Only Appendix 4-20b: Estimated Probability of Having Grant Funding by Discipline, Gender, and Whether the Faculty Member Has an Assigned Mentor - Associate Professors Only Appendix 4-21: Percentage of Faculty Missing Salary Data by Gender and Discipline Appendix 4-22: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty at Research I Institutions That Were Nominated for at Least One Award Appendix 4-23: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Research I Faculty with Offers to Leave Appendix 4-24: Percentage of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty at Research I Institutions Planning to Leave or Retire Appendix 5-1: Knowledge of Tenure Procedures by Gender, Rank, and Presence of a Mentor Appendix 5-2: Detailed Tenure Information from Departmental Survey Appendix 5-3: Time Spent in Both Assistant and Associate Professorships Appendix 5-4: Years Between Starting Employment and Achieving Associate Professor Status, by Gender Appendix 5-5: Years Between Starting Employment and Achieving Full Professor Status, by Gender Appendix 5-6: Patterns of Nonresponse for Tenure Decisions Appendix 5-7: Patterns of Nonresponse for Promotion Decisions Bibliography Index